- April 26, 2024
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The Palm Coast City Council voted unanimously during its Sept. 18 meeting to fire City Manager Jim Landon, who has served as city manager for 11 years.
"I’ve just come to the point that I think we have to make a decision as a council."
— MILISSA HOLLAND, Palm Coast mayor
The move, proposed by Mayor Milissa Holland near the end of the meeting, caught other council members off guard: It had not been placed on the agenda, and council members aren't permitted to discuss official city business among themselves outside of public meetings.
But it followed a series of conflicts between Landon and the council, whose members have criticized him for failing to move forward on a City Council strategic action priority — a Shop Local initiative — for more than a year; for not releasing City Council workshop backup documentation early enough that council members could read it before workshops began; and, most recently, for having the city's law firm file a legal brief, concerning a contentious dangerous dog case, that the mayor felt contradicted the council's intention.
Holland raised all of those issues when she addressed the council to propose dismissing Landon. And, she said, she didn't feel like Landon had adjusted to the current City Council. Holding the position of city manager, she said, "takes some pivoting, it takes some flexibility ... I don't see that happening."
"I’ve just come to the point that I think we have to make a decision as a council," she said.
She proposed firing Landon effective immediately; appointing Beau Falgout, the deputy city manager, as interim city manager; and re-engaging the city's search firm to find Landon's replacement.
The firm had already been contracted to help search for a successor for Landon, who'd previously told the council that he planned to soon retire but had not given a firm date — another action that had disturbed Holland.
"I don’t think it’s appropriate to announce your retirement and then not give us a firm date to work off of," she said.
Council member Nick Klufas agreed with Holland's proposal to fire Landon, as did Councilman Vincent Lyon.
Councilman Bob Cuff proposed tabling Holland's proposal and having a workshop on the matter, then voting on it during the next official business meeting, in part so that Councilwoman Heidi Shipley — who was absent Sept. 18 — could take part of in the vote. Shipley has repeatedly criticized Landon's performance, and, when former councilman Steven Nobile had unsuccessfully brought a motion to fire him, she'd voted in favor of the firing.
Cuff wasn't certain he wanted an immediate firing.
"My strong preference is for a soft landing, if that’s the correct word, where we locate a candidate we can all get behind ... and have that coincide with Mr. Landon’s retirement," he said.
But he agreed with some of Holland's criticism, especially regarding not receiving the workshop backup information well ahead of workshops. Getting that information for the first time at workshops, he said, "I’ve spent a lot of time feeing like I’m drinking from a fire hose. ... We’re dealing with a lot of very complicated things that have, in some cases, big financial impacts on our residents, and that's an area I’ve felt frustration at."
He added: "I’m not saying I wouldn’t support [Holland's proposal to fire Landon] at our next business meeting."
Holland said she didn't see any reason to drag out the process for another two weeks.
"I don’t think it is going to do anything but prolong this decision further," she said.
Klufas agreed, saying he couldn't envision anything changing council members' minds. "I think time is of the essence," he said.
Lyon — who is, like Cuff, an attorney — said, "I think lawyers have a tendency to be risk averse and not want to rush into anything." But he noted that Shipley would likely support the firing, which would give it the needed three votes out of five.
"At some point in the future, it’ll have to happen; there’s no alternative unless he decides to retire," Lyon said. "It’s a scary cliff to jump off, but ... I’m in agreement with Mr. Klufas. "
Cuff changed his position and voted in favor of the firing when it became clear he was in the minority.
Landon walked out of the council chambers immediately after the vote. Falgout begins as Landon's replacement immediately.
